This is a very exciting wine. It has both history and heritage that goes back centuries. Corty is in the rarefied appellation of Pouilly-Fume, at the very eastern end of the Loire Valley. It is the birthplace of Sauvignon Blanc and, arguably, the best of the best hails from these hallowed stones.

When Robert Mondavi came here in 1966, he was so taken by the wine that he decided to call his Sauvignon Blanc "Fume Blanc," which is how the name came to be. It translates to "white smoke" because of the perceived smokiness in the flavor.

Corty has been in the Moreux Family for nearly 350 years. They own a sizable estate comprised of 80 acres, all of which are planted to Sauvignon Blanc. They call this cuvee "Silex," which means "flint," referring to the smokiness - or, as we like to say, "fume" - in the wine.

This is uncompromising Sauvignon Blanc. It screams of the chalky soil from which it emanates and of the character of grape, which in this region has no equal.

All at once, passion fruit and flint, chalk and lime blast from the glass, filling the air with their intensity. The flavors are even more sensuous as they magnify and develop, enveloping you in wave upon wave of one elixir after another.

The effect is dizzying but, fortunately, all is held in balance by the crisp, clear finish, which only asks for another glass.